Contour Fashion graduates sweep the board at prestigious new lingerie awards

Contour Fashion graduates have swept the board at the new UK Lingerie Awards, which recognise outstanding examples of excellence in the market during the past year.

The New Designer of the Year award went to Leanne Brooke, who graduated DMU’s fashion contour degree in 2009. She was presented with the trophy at a glamorous award ceremony sponsored by Speedo Sculpture and the Melas Group at One Mayfair in London.

Leanne’s lingerie label ‘Obey My Demand’ has been worn by celebrities including Lady Gaga. She was presented with her trophy by model and socialite Imogen Thomas in front of more than 250 lingerie professionals.

Chloe Hamblin, who runs Lascivious, won Independent Brand of the Year. Chloe graduated DMU in 2003.

Niki McMorrough, who established the Made by Niki label after studying the CertHE at DMU in 2008, won Best Shapewear Brand of the Year.

Winner of the Best Larger Cupsize Brand award, Curvy Kate, recently completed a design project with DMU contour students and the firm acknowledged that input as a contributory factor in their success.

There were also commendations for two other DMU graduates: Nichole de Carle, who graduated 2005; and Nicole Gill, who graduated 2009.

Gillian Proctor, programme leader for the contour fashion degree and the fashion and contour design course at DMU, was among the judges for the awards.

The judging panel also included: Kat Slowe, editor of Insight Lingerie; June Kenton, owner of Rigby & Peller; Claire Franks, founder of the Intimate Apparel Consultancy; Kelly Isaac, founder of the Lingerie Collective; and Sharon Webb, head of lingerie buying and design for Debenhams.

Gillian said: “It was a great honour to have been asked to join the judging panel for these inaugral awards and a delight to see so many of our own graduates being recognised for their creativity, innovation and dedication to exemplary conceptual design, technical excellence and manufacture.

“We are so proud of our graduates and the worth they contribute to the contemporary intimate apparel market place. This defines the potential heights for our undergraduates for their future in this industry and demonstrates the quality and distinctiveness of education at De Montfort University.”

Discover more about our award winning graduates

UK Lingerie Awards 2011
Obey My Demand
Lascivious
Made by Niki
Contour Fashion BA (Hons)